tech.gadgets.video.geekculture.gaming.kittens.
video games
Animal Crossing
185 years ago
by Veronica
in video games
Can someone explain to me why this game is supposed to be fun? Am I not “getting it?” Is it because I don’t have any friends to visit in the game? Well, whatever it is, I’m having a hard time keeping my attention on this game. Help me out, here!
My murloc impression goes mobile
125 years ago
Testing Jon’s video posting trick. I think it’s working!!
The apple doesn’t fall too far…
125 years ago
From Compute! Issue 46 – March 1984
Peripherals In The Year 1999
Kathy Yakal, Editorial Assistant
Is it compatible with my computer? Will I need to buy extra cables? What if I decide to buy a different computer a year from now?can I still use the same modem? The issues of standardization and compatibility are likely to change in the next decade. What’s more, new technologies are continually appearing in each new generation of peripherals.
Purchasing the right peripherals for your computer can be complicated. The buyer must make some complex technical choices: IEEE-488. Hayes-compatible. RS-232. Requires 80-column card. Requires special cables (available separately). IBM-compatible.
A Package Deal
One possible response to the compatibility problem is to avoid third-party hardware manufacturers and buy everything for your system from the company which made your computer.
Coleco encourages this with their new Adam system. “The reason we’re offering a package concept is that we perceived a great deal of confusion in the home,market,” says Barbara Wruck, director of corporate communications at Coleco. “Many consumers were buying inexpensive CPU’s, only to find out that that’s all they had?a CPU.
“It’s important to give the new computer owner every piece of equipment that lets them do it immediately, a system that is useful, easy to operate, and affordable.” As an Adam owner grows in knowledge and needs new equipment, says Wruck, Coleco will continue to produce “carefully selected peripherals” to expand the power of the system.
Is this the answer to peripheral problems? “I think the consumer is saying that it is,” says Wruck. “We believe this is the correct approach.”
Why am I quoting this magazine article from almost 22 years ago? Because Barbara Wruck is my mom. Hell, I think her ideas make sense! The author doesn’t seem to:
Buying any computer, disk drive, printer, and modem and having them work together at once might seem like high-tech heaven, but it’s not likely to happen.
So funny. As a side note, I come from a toy/gaming family: Mom worked at Coleco, Dad worked at Hasbro, and my grandfather worked for Parker Brothers (where my mom had her first job). I guess it’s in my blood.
Girls for the win!
145 years ago
I was finally able to get the router working long enough to get on WoW for a few hours yesterday, and I made a group to go into Uldaman (a level 41-51 instance). With me was one of my regular playing partners, a guy we’ll call “Stan.” He surprised me by making a reference to the fact that I was a woman, which I hadn’t told him before; I guess one of our other playing friends had leaked it out. He was totally fine with it, made some little side comments that were amusing, but not rude or derogatory in any way. Unfortunately, this is not always the case…
I play a male character, and I play one for a reason: like it or not, girls are treated very differently in video games. I try not to make sweeping generalizations about boys playing WoW, but what I’ve witnessed in-game and on the Internet lately has made me rethink my stance a little bit.
Allow me to point you to a post from Joystiq. I realize that it’s rather old, but I came across it today while looking at another page that referenced it. The article talks about an entry from The Escapist, a rather excellent online publication. It was a not-too-surprising post about a girl who has faced some annoying backlash from coming out as a female to her WoW mates. Some of the reactions in her story seemed a little over the top, but what digusted me were the comments in the Joystiq article:
2. Hilarious, more like “shitty”. I saw that article a few days ago and cringed at the lines about her owning me. Yeah ok.
To offer a counterpoint, I find that most girls on the internet are stupid attention whores just like this one.
Protip to Miss BUTTS: Wax your top lip, you look like hulk hogan.
Oh, and don’t forget:
12. I believe that a lot of women play games online but almost all of the ones i’v encountered have been quite pathetic. Most have been in Halo 2, which, from experience, leads me to believe that women have horrible hand-eye coordination and no sense of tact. I once played a woman in NBA2k4 she had her ass handed a 60 point drubbing so apparently women have no idea how the game of basketball is played either. If any women want to prove themselves, which i’m sure some women’s rights, PC nutcake will want to, dude819 on xbox live would love to serve you.
There was some defense put up for her in the comments, but the overwheming feeling I got from the entire thing was hostile. What the hell is wrong with people? Is it because most of the players are probably 14? Or is it because hidden safely behind their mask of anonymity they can say whatever misogynist garbage spews from their brains?
Just because you get owned by a girl in a game doesn’t give you the right to say that she’s “on the rag.” lern2play, n00b. Oh, and grow a pair while you’re at it.
</rant>
UPDATE!
Issue 17 of The Escapist is all about gals and games. Good reads!